Pocket-guard



(No Model.)-

0. THIBODEAU. POCKET GUARD.

, No. 496,709. Patented Ma 2, 1893.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES TI-IIBODEAU, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

POCKET-GUARD. I

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 496,709, dated May 2, 1893.

Application filed June 23, 1 8 92.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, CHARLES THIBODEAU, of Somerville, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pocket- Guards, of which the following is a specifica tion.

This invention relates to devices for use in retaining pencils and other like articles in vest pockets, and it consists in a pocket guard, comprising two flexible wire loops, each connected with the other at one end, the opposite ends of both loops being free, while the connected ends are provided with ahook, which is adapted to engage the outer thickness or side of the pocket, the depth of the loops being such that, when the hook is engaged with the outer side of the pocket, the loops will not extend to the bottom of the pocket, but will be held between the bottom and mouth, so that they will bear against pencils and other like articles in the pocket, at points above the bottom of the pocket, the loops collectively acting to elongate the mouth of the pocket and thus cause the sides of the pocket to press against the pencils, &c., so that each pencil is held at two points, namely, at the mouth of the pocket and at the point where theloops extend across the pocket, all of which I will now proceed to describe.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification: Figure 1 is a view showing my invention applied to the pocket of a vest. Fig. 2 is aview of the device detached. Fig. 3 is a broken portion of the same, showing the outer hook left-off.

In carrying out my invention, I make, preferably from a single piece of wire, a pocket guard comprising two loops a a and a hook b. The hook comprises the central portion of the wire, and is formed to receive the outer side or thickness of a pocket 1), into which the loops at a are inserted. The ends of the loops which join the hook may be called the inner ends, and the opposite ends of theloops the outer ends, the latter being free. The loops are formed so that, when they are inserted in a pocket, their free ends will bear with a yielding pressure against the ends of the pocket, the loops being proportioned, with Serial No. 437,691- (Nomocleh) pocket, and, in their effort to expand, will exert a constant elongating pressure upon the ends of the pocket, causing. the sides of the pocket to press inwardly upon pencils or other like articles placed in the pocket. -The hook I) is engaged with the outer side of the pocket, and limits the depth to which the loops can enter the pocket, the loops being proportioned so that, when the hook is engaged with the outer edge of the pocket, the loops will not extend to the bottom of a pocket of ordinary depth, but will remain about midway between the bottom and the mouth 10 of the pocket. Hence the loops act, in .a certain sense, asjaws, to bear upon and assist in retaining the pencils in the pocket. The pencils are therefore retained at two points, namely, where the loops bear upon them, and at the mouthp of the pocket.

I prefer to form an upwardly-projecting hook b on the free end of the hook I), to support eye-glasses.

I am aware that it is not new to provide a wire pocket-stretching device; but, in the only instance of a device of this kind of which I am aware, the wire was U-shaped, and had only one loop, the sides of which were ar-- ranged to bear against the ends of the pocket, there being no central hook arranged to connect two loops and support the loops above the bottom of the pocket. It will be seen that, in my device, the free ends of the loops are lower than the upper portion of the hook I), and are inclined or curved, so that they automatically engage the fabric of the interior of the pocket; hence, when the hook is engaged with the said pocket, the ends of the loops act as dogs, by catching into the fabric of the pocket, and thus prevent displacement of the device, and particularly upward displacement, the hook preventing downward displacement. Hence, when' the device is once inserted in the pocket, there is no liability of its slipping outwardly.

I claim- The improved pocket guard hereinbefore described, the same comprising the central hook b and the two U shaped loops located side I00 by side and connected at their inner sides or arms by said hook, the outer sides of the loops being free and constituting spring dogs the In testimony whereof I have signed my 10 name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 21st day of free ends of which are located below the up- June, A. D. 1892. per portion of the hook whereby when the r hook is engaged as dcsci-ibed with the front CHARLES HHBODEAU' Witnesses:

O. F. BROWN, A. D.HARRIso1 1.

side of a pocket, the said dogs will be below the mouth of "the pocket and in position to engage the interior of the pocket, as set forth. 

